PawSox journal: Playoff berth is still one win away

Friday

Aug 31, 2012 at 9:08 PM

PAWTUCKET — The PawSox missed their chance to clinch a postseason berth, dropping a 4-3 decision to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at McCoy Stadium. Lehigh Valley lost to Syracuse, meaning Pawtucket leads the IronPigs...

By Tim Britton

PAWTUCKET — The PawSox missed their chance to clinch a postseason berth, dropping a 4-3 decision to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre at McCoy Stadium.

Lehigh Valley lost to Syracuse, meaning Pawtucket leads the IronPigs by three games with three to go. One win or one Lehigh Valley loss will clinch the wild card for the PawSox.

The Yankees, who have already clinched the North division, scored three times in the seventh to turn a 2-1 deficit into a 4-2 lead. The big blow was a two-run homer from Melky Mesa off of Chris Hernandez, Mesa’s second bomb of the game.

Later in the frame, Pedro Beato allowed a run on a wild pitch.

That undid another solid outing from Hernandez, who contributed a quality start for the fourth straight time. The left-hander went six-plus, allowing the three runs on seven hits. Nevertheless, he fell to 1-4 with Pawtucket.

The PawSox struck first on a mammoth two-run homer from Danny Valencia in the first. Jeremy Hazelbaker had three hits out of the leadoff spot in his fifth game with Pawtucket, but he was twice tagged out between third and home.

In the first inning, Hazelbaker was waved around third by manager Arnie Beyeler on Tony Thomas’ one-out single, only to be nailed at the plate by a perfect throw from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre left fielder Ronnier Mustelier.

In the eighth, Hazelbaker singled, stole second and moved to third on an error with one out. But on Ivan De Jesus’ grounder to third, Hazelbaker slipped breaking toward third and was tagged out in a subsequent rundown.

Mustelier had four hits for the Yankees. Pawtucket’s six-game winning streak came to an end.

Spears on Iglesias

Few people are more qualified to speak about Jose Iglesias’ development than Nate Spears.

The do-everything infielder for the PawSox — Spears has started games at first, second and third this season — has come up through the Boston system alongside Iglesias, playing with him in Portland in 2010 and in Pawtucket these last two seasons.

So what progress has Iglesias made in Spears’ eyes in 2012?

“Just getting an approach and staying consistent with it,” Spears said. “He’s been seeing a lot more pitches and not just going up there and ambushing, swinging early. He’s been getting in good counts, and when he gets good pitches, he’s been putting a good swing on them.”

Spears, though, said Iglesias isn't quite ready to be an everyday shortstop in the majors just yet.

“I think he’s working on his way to getting there,” he said. “He’s still got a little more improvement, but I think he’s going to be a great shortstop someday up there.”

Beyeler was happy with the strides Iglesias made, especially in the batter’s box.

“He did a nice job at the plate with his development. That’s where he really needed to improve,” Beyeler said. “He learned how to put a good at-bat together and work to his strengths a little bit.

In 88 games with the PawSox, Iglesias hit .266 with a .318 on-base percentage — strong steps up from the .235 average and .285 on-base he posted a season ago. The numbers look even better if we remove Iglesias’ ugly April. Since collecting two hits on the last day of that month, the shortstop hit .290 for the PawSox.

“He’s maturing, getting older, getting more experienced. We’re still dealing with a pretty inexperienced guy here for a guy at this level of baseball. He’s only played three years in the minor leagues. He’s learned a lot on the fly.”

Buckner is solid

The PawSox rotation has undergone a late-summer overhaul

The steadying influence has been right-hander Billy Buckner.

Buckner has shown himself to be more than just a name in 2012 for the Sox. On Thursday night, he submitted his finest effort of the season, tossing a seven-inning complete-game shutout of Gwinnett in the opener of a doubleheader. He allowed only four hits in the victory — his fourth straight and seventh in his last eight starts.

“Probably his best outing of the year,” pitching coach Rich Sauveur said of Buckner. “The last three or four outings have been very very good. He’s been more consistent down in the zone. When he pitches down in the zone, he’s effective. You see positive results when you’re down in the zone, and that’s what he’s done.”

Buckner agreed.

“It got off to a rocky start, but after I got it squared away and got back to doing what I do best, things have been going really well,” he said. When asked just what it is he does best, he clarified, “Keep the ball down, throw strikes, get ahead. Typically when I’m at my best, I’m getting ground balls and putting guys away when the opportunity comes up. Like any pitcher, getting ahead is important.”

Buckner’s season turned around on the first of July, when he threw six shutout innings against Lehigh Valley. In the five starts prior to that, he yielded 24 earned runs in 23 1/3 innings. In the dozen starts since, he’s given up only 18 earned runs in 73 1/3 innings.

Even more remarkable, 11 of those 18 earned runs came in two poor starts.

Seven times in his last dozen starts, Buckner has completed at least six innings while allowing two runs or fewer.

“Making a start every five days, that’s all you can ask for,” Buckner said. “[The Red Sox] took a chance on me, and I’m thankful they did.”

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